The white tower
A giant bearing a cross.
Jean Yves ESSIGAN — CC0 · Jean Yves ESSIGAN — CC0 · Jean Yves ESSIGAN — CC0 · Cyriac Gbogou — CC BY-SA 4.0
St Paul's Cathedral is a modern Catholic cathedral in Le Plateau, Abidjan, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Abidjan. It is famous for its tall white tower shaped like a giant figure bearing a cross, held by long cables like the ropes of a tent. It stands on a low hill overlooking the Bay of Cocody, visible across the city. The Italian architect Aldo Spirito designed it at the direction of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Pope John Paul II blessed the first stone on 11 May 1980, during his first visit to the country. He consecrated the finished building on 10 August 1985, on his second visit. Its cost was put at about 12 million dollars, and it ranks among the largest cathedrals in Africa. You see a slanting white concrete tower with sharp lines, cables running from it down to the sloping church roof, and palm trees around. From across the lagoon the tower appears among the modern towers of Le Plateau. Visitors come for architecture unlike traditional churches and for the lagoon view from the hill. It stands in central Le Plateau, and Banco National Park is about 8 km away in a straight line. Dress modestly and respect Mass times. Ask before taking photos inside.
A giant bearing a cross.
Like tent ropes.
From the hill.
Le Plateau, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The Italian architect Aldo Spirito.
Usually yes outside Mass, in modest dress.
